IV. (_a_) The principal vessels of the Temple (2 Chronicles 4:1). (_b_) Huram’s works in brass (2 Chronicles 4:11). (_c_) Catalogue of golden objects, and conclusion 2 Chronicles 4:19 -2 Chronicles 5:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
_(a)_ THE PRINCIPAL VESSELS OF THE TEMPLE (2 Chronicles 4:1). THE BRAZEN ALTAR (2 Chronicles 4:1). (l) AN ALTAR OF BRASS. — The brazen altar, or altar of burnt offering, made by Solomon, is not noticed in the parallel Chapter s of Kings (1 Kings 6:7) which describe the construction of the temple an... [ Continue Reading ]
Even if _pôthôth_ be correct in Kings, the chronicler might have understood the word to mean _openings,_ rather than _hinges,_ and so have substituted the common word _pethah,_ which has that sense. The resemblance of the one word to the other would be a further consideration in its favour, accordin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND UNDER IT WAS THE SIMILITUDE OF OXEN. — Literally, _And a likeness of oxen_ (figured oxen) _under it around surrounding it, ten in the cubit encompassing the sea around: two rows_ were _the oxen, smelted in the smelting of it._ In the parallel passage (1 Kings 7:24) we read: _And wild gourds unde... [ Continue Reading ]
IT STOOD. — The whole verse coincides verbally with 1 Kings 7:25, with one slight exception: the common form of the numeral “twelve,” _shnêm ‘âsâr,_ is substituted for the rare _shnê ‘âsâr. _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE THICKNESS ... A CUP. — Identical with 1 Kings 7:26. WITH FLOWERS OF LILIES. — See margin. “Lily” here is _shôshannâh;_ in Kings, _shôshân._ LXX., “graven with lily buds.” Syriac and Arabic, “and it was very beautiful.” Vulg., “like the lip of a cup, or of an open lily.” AND IT RECEIVED AND... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TEN LAVERS: THEIR USE, AND THAT OF THE SEA (2 Chronicles 4:6). (Comp. 1 Kings 7:27.) (6) The chronicler now returns to his abbreviating style, and omits altogether the description of the ten bases, or stands, upon which the lavers were placed, and which are described in full and curious detail i... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS, THE TEN TABLES, THE HUNDRED GOLDEN BOWLS, AND THE COURTS (2 Chronicles 4:7). This section is peculiar to Chronicles. (7) AND HE MADE TEN CANDLESTICKS OF GOLD ACCORDING TO THEIR FORM. — _And he made the golden lampstands ten, according to their rule,_ or, _prescribed man... [ Continue Reading ]
HE MADE ALSO TEN TABLES. — Perhaps the golden candelabra stood upon them. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 28:16; and 2 Chronicles 4:19, _infra._) SIDE. — Not in the Hebrew. AN HUNDRED BASONS. — _Bowls_ for pouring libations (Amos 6:6; same word, _mizrâqîm_). The Syriac and Arabic make the number of these vess... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COURT OF THE PRIESTS. — See 1 Kings 6:36; 1 Kings 7:12, “the inner court;_”_ Jeremiah 36:10, “the higher court.” AND THE GREAT COURT. — ‘_Azârâh, “_court,” a late word, common in the Targums for the classical _hâqçr,_ which has just occurred. The _‘azârâh_ was the outer court of the temple. It i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SET THE SEA ... — Literally, _And he set the sea on the right shoulder, eastward, in front of the southward; i.e.,_ on the south-east side of the house (1 Kings 7:39, _b._). The LXX. and some MSS. add “of the house,” which appears to have fallen out of the text.... [ Continue Reading ]
(_b_) HURAM’S WORKS IN BRASS (2 Chronicles 4:11) Comp. 1 Kings 7:40. Throughout this section the narrative almost textually coincides with the parallel account. (11) AND HURAM MADE THE POTS. — 1 Kings 7:40 has “lavers” (pans). Our reading, “pots,” appears correct, supported as it is by many MSS. a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE POMMELS, AND THE CHAPITERS — _i.e., the globes and the capitals._ Kings, _Authorised Version_ has _bowls,_ but in Hebrew the word is the same (_gullôth,_ globes). “The globes _of_ the capitals” (Kings) is plainly incorrect. WHICH WERE ON THE TOP OF THE TWO PILLARS. — Heb. (and the globes an... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO ROWS. — See 1 Kings 7:42.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE MADE ALSO BASES. — _And the bases he made; and the lavers he made upon the bases._ This repetition of the verb is suspicious; and the parallel text shows the right reading to be _and the bases ten_ (in number), _and the lavers ten upon the bases._ “Ten” in Hebrew writing closely resembles “he mad... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE SEA. — Heb., _the sea one._ Kings, _and the one sea._ AND TWELVE OXEN UNDER IT. — _And the oxen, twelve, under it._ Kings, _And the oxen, twelve, under the sea._ The chronicler has abridged the expression.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE POTS ALSO, AND THE SHOVELS, AND THE FLESHHOOKS. — “Fleshhooks” (_mizlâgôth_) should apparently be “bowls” (_mizrâqôth_). (Comp. 2 Chronicles 4:1, and 1 Kings 7:45.) But in Exodus 27:3, pots and shovels and bowls and fleshhooks are mentioned in succession as utensils of the altar. Perhaps, theref... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE CLAY GROUND. — Heb., _in the thickness of the ground_ — _i.e.,_ in the stiff or clayey soil. Vulg., “in argillosa terra.” For _‘ăbî,_ “thickness,” see Job 15:26. Kings has _ma‘ăbeh,_ which occurs nowhere else. ZEREDATHAH. — Kings, _Zârĕthân_ (Joshua 3:16). _Zĕrçdâthâh_ means _towards Zĕrĕthâ... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SOLOMON MADE ALL THESE VESSELS IN GREAT ABUNDANCE. — 1 Kings 7:47, _And Solomon left all the vessels_ (unweighed) _from very great abundance._ Our text may be due to a copyist, whose eye wandered to the beginning of the next verse; but it is possible that the chronicler missed the significance... [ Continue Reading ]
(_c_) CATALOGUE OF OBJECTS IN GOLD — CONCLUSION (2 Chronicles 4:19 -2 Chronicles 5:1). 1 Kings 7:48. The narrative still coincides in the main with that of Kings, allowing for one or two remarkable alterations. (19) FOR THE HOUSE. — _In the houses_ (without proposition, comp. 2 Chronicles 4:11). TH... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH (_and_) THEIR LAMPS, THAT THEY SHOULD BURN AFTER THE MANNER (_according to the legal rule_ — 2 Chronicles 4:7). This is added by the chronicler, who omits “five on the right and five on the left” (Kings). The rest is as in Kings.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FLOWERS... GOLD. — See 1 Kings 7:49. AND THAT PERFECT GOLD. — _It_ was _perfection of gold._ The word _miklôth,_ “perfections” (intensive plural) occurs nowhere else. It is derived from _kâlâh,_ “to be finished,” not _kâlal_ (Bishop Wordsworth). The LXX. omits the clause; not so the Vulg.,... [ Continue Reading ]